Reseña de álbum

Initially available as an iTunes exclusive digital-only release, Ingram Hill's Blue Room Afternoon is a collection of re-recordings of the band's favorites in stripped-down, mostly acoustic arrangements, an approach that used to be called "unplugged" back when VH1 had a series by that name. Even in its rock arrangements, Ingram Hill is a melodic pop/rock band, but here, with an acoustic guitar usually taking the central place, augmented by quiet keyboards and bass, the group's strong melodies come to the fore. So do lead singer Justin Moore's vocals and, inevitably, the songs come across as songs more than as recorded performances. The format allows Ingram Hill to revisit and present to its current record label, Rock Ridge, versions of songs from its earlier stint on Hollywood Records, notably the Adult Top 40 chart entries "Will I Ever Make It Home" and "Almost Perfect." In those songs and the other selections, Moore, guitarist Phil Bogard, and bassist Zach Kirk come off as romantics of a somewhat sour sort. The subject invariably is the relationship between a man, the narrator, and a woman, and things never seem to be going well. Moore is fond of writing about women in the third person rather than addressing them as "you," though in "Hey Girl" he has it both ways, telling one woman that it's her he's interested in, not her best friend. This also allows him to have his two main narratives in one song: criticism of a woman to whom he has access, and yearning for one to whom he does not. His standards are admittedly high, as he acknowledges in "Almost Perfect," crooning "She's almost perfect … but she's not." But when she does seem to be perfect, she isn't available. Happily, Moore and his bandmates create engaging musical contexts for their romantic complaints, adding, over the course of this album, the occasional fiddle, tambourine, or handclap pattern to vary the arrangements. Fans familiar with the songs will hear them in a new and enjoyable context; others may get a sense of the group's style in an intimate context.

Biografía

Género: Rock

Años de actividad: '00s, '10s

Contrary to what some might assume, Ingram Hill is not of the name of a solo artist but rather, a band; no one in Ingram Hill is actually named Ingram Hill (just like there was never a musician named Lynyrd Skynyrd or Jethro Tull — at least not in either of those well-known '70s bands). Like Cracker, Train, and Tonic, Ingram Hill has an earthy, unpretentious approach that is relevant to both alternative pop/rock and roots rock. The Memphis-based foursome aren't an exact replica of classic rockers...